About the Monument
The Helium Centennial Time Columns Monument was erected in Amarillo, Texas in 1968 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of helium in the gaseous atmosphere of the sun. Amarillo was selected for the monument because of its central role in the US Government’s strategic helium reserves and gas production from the Cliffside Gas Field beginning in 1927. The Bureau of Mines (later integrated into the Bureau of Land Management) opened the Amarillo Helium Plant in 1929 and had maintained its headquarters for the Federal Helium Program in Amarillo until 2024, when it was purchased by Messer North America, Inc.
In 1982, The Helium Monument was airlifted by helicopter from its original location on I-40 and Nelson to its present location in the Jack B. Kelley Plaza in front of the Don Harrington Discovery Center.
About the Time Capsules
Each column in the 55-foot monument contains time capsules filled with documents and mementos from 1968, with each of the four columns to be opened at different times; 25, 50, 100, and 1000 years from its dedication. The columns were also themed, represented by the major artifacts sealed within them.
25-Year Column: Themed Man and His Dependence on Natural Resources, opened in May 1993 during a two-day event hosted by the Silver Celebrations Committee.
50-Year Column: Themed Industry and its Use of Natural Resources, opened in September 2018 during an all day event hosted by the Gold Helium Time Columns Event Committee.
100-Year Column: Themed Science and its Development of Natural Resources, to be opened in 2068.
1000-Year Column: Themed History of Efforts Toward Conservation, to be opened 2968.
Funding for the Time Columns Monument and site was obtained through contributions from individuals, and private and public organizations, especially those companies making up the helium industry.
The Time Columns Monument and its contents serve as a reminder to future generations that natural resources should be conserved and used wisely.
Did you know…
- Amarillo was once named The Helium Capital of the World.
- By 1964, 95% of the world’s recoverable helium was produced within 250 miles of Amarillo.
- Among the items sealed in the time capsules are seeds, books and movies from various phases of contemporary America, office supplies, and a dehydrated apple pie!
- Due to the Earth’s orbit around the sun and the tilt of its axis, the sundial at the base of the monument is the most accurate during one day of the year, the Spring Equinox!